The search is on for the best in the pub industry as the leading event in the sector, The Publican Awards 2020 gets under way.

Pub companies from across the UK are being invited to make their case for why they should be heralded as one of the best in the business.

­The awards, which have been running for more than a quarter of a century, highlights the best operators in the trade across a wide range of categories.

Ed Bedington, editor of ­The Morning Advertiser​, which organises the awards, said: “We’re delighted to be firing the starting gun in this year’s competition.

“­The awards have always been the benchmark of success in a sector filled with exciting and dynamic operators. It’s a real pleasure to host the event and see some of the fantastic businesses we have, and to share some of those success stories with the wider industry.

“I’d urge all companies in the pub and bar sector to throw their hat in the ring. It’s a great opportunity to test your operation against the best in the business and to see how your company measures up.

“Yes, the competition is tough, and entering is not for the faint hearted, but it’s well worth the time spent – you’ll be taking some time out to take a good long, hard look at your business then you’ll have further scrutiny from a team of independent experts.”

­The benefits to entering are manifold, Bedington adds: “Being a finalist and, if you’re lucky, a winner in ­The Publican Awards is a great chance to not only claim some bragging rights for your business, but it can help in a wide range of ways, whether you’re looking to expand and need investment, through to attracting, recruiting and retaining top talent within the sector. You’ll also get a full feedback report on the judging process, allowing you to see your areas of strength – and any weakness.

“Being able to nail your colours to The Publican Awards mast is a great opportunity for businesses of any size.”

This year sees the reintroduction of the Responsible Retailing award, which aims to give recognition for companies doing good work in this space. So if you’re investing heavily into safety and security, or partnering with outside agencies to deliver exceptional services, or even developing a strong range of low-and-no alcohol products – that’s the category for you.

Last year, Stonegate dazzled judges and took home four category awards for Best Drinks O­ffer, Best Community Pub Operator, Best Large Employer and Best Large Manager Pub Company. Chief executive Simon Longbottom was also declared Business Leader of the Year.

Longbottom said: “We are competitive, we like to do the numbers for our investors, and we like industry recognition. When you get industry and peer recognition, it’s a fantastic thing.

“I’m incredibly proud of all our wins and we’ll continue to enter the well-run competitions, the ones with the right level of judging scrutiny that do find the genuine winners in the industry.”

Other winners on the night included JW Lees, which took the title of Best Brewing Pub Company.

William Lees-Jones, managing director, said: “All of us at JW Lees were over the moon with the recognition that being a Publican Award winner meant. We followed it with a record year’s performance and it has been a real catalyst in us taking our business to another level.”

His views were echoed by Fuller’s CEO Simon Emeny, who won in the accommodation category and the Best Pub Operations Team: “It was great to pick up two of the industry’s ‘Oscars’ this year. The Publican Awards is an annual highlight and great recognition for our outstanding people.”

Deltic won Best Late Night Operator and CEO Peter Marks said: “The Publican Awards are the widest ranging and deepest judged in our sector so to win is the highest of accolades and means so much to our teams .”